Ganson Family Scrapbook: September 2023

September 2023 Highlights:

The older kids and I played hooky from house church one Sunday and went to visit the Buchers for the day.
Abby started back to dance classes for the year.
Caleb and Micah are in full swing for cross country races.
Ben and I celebrated 20 years of marriage on the 13th! (No big trip for us, but we did enjoy a nice dinner at the Pump House while the Ziebers hosted our kids for the evening - minus Micah who was working. This was the first time the twins stayed anywhere other than Wes and Joyce's house!)
Abby took care of Bella, Genny Ruth's dog, while the Bells were on vacation. She loves that job. :)
We went to UIM's kick-off dinner and met several awesome new international teachers and students.
Caleb turned 14!
Abby and I went to see Narnia the musical in Charlotte at the Children's Theater. I got free tickets through Defending the Fatherless (for adoptive families.) This was perfect timing since Abby had just finished reading the entire Narnia series together with Genny Ruth!
The older three kids and I drove to Maryland for a quick trip (Thursday through Sunday) for Megan and Sam's wedding on the 30th. Ben had the twins all to himself (with a little help from Grandma.) Everyone did great for the weekend!

At the park by the BMX track in Riverwalk

Marvens got shocked after touching Ben coming down the slide. He was very hesitant after that to touch Ben. His reaction to Marvel touching Ben and getting a shock was hilarious.

We didn't realize there were races every Friday at the BMX track. It was fun to watch the first few, but mostly the twins just wanted to ride bikes down this ramp. :)

Trying to figure out what to do with their hands during the National Anthem

Marvel/Daddy snuggles

Marvens/Daddy snuggles

Trying out Isaac's dirt bike at the Bucher's house :)

Checking out Karl's new workshop. We walked to it through their backyard... it's a pretty awesome set-up for him!

Most impressively, he has a mini-freezer full of popsicles in his workshop. :)

Almost like double twins. :)

The twins don't exactly love going to cross country races, but they look cute doing it!

At Trojan Invitational. Micah ran a 21.53, and Caleb ran 37.03

We FINALLY had a few days that felt like fall! We went to playgrounds several weekend evenings to have fun. :)

One morning for CC, Caleb and Micah were accidentally twinning, and so were Abby and I. Micah was thrilled. :)

A few Trailblazers in their summer running tshirts.

Micah did a great 4-minute presentation in class on the process of how America's government was set up (as a democratic republic). He wouldn't let me video his presentation, but this was the visual he used.

I couldn't figure out one morning where the twins had gone. I finally opened up my closet and found them sitting in my laundry basket. :)

One Friday evening while the older kids were all gone, Ben and I took the twins to the BMX pump track to try out.... they loved it!

I loved how the helmets squished their cheeks. :)

Pooped after occupational/speech therapy one day. Ever since preschool started, we switched to Tuesdays for therapy, and we have to go straight there from school.... which means no nap for these guys! And usually means falling asleep on the way home. (Or on the way to therapy sometimes.) Ever since M&M came home, they have always stayed in their room when they woke up and waited for us to come get them. BUT this month, almost a year after coming home, they finally started coming out of their room on their own. I know this is a good sign because it's another "orphanage behavior" they are dropping, but now the trick is getting them to stay in their room when we need them to. One night at 3:30 am, Micah woke up because Marvens had turned on the hall light and was just standing in the hallway. The next two days, Marvel came downstairs exhausted at 6 am. So I bought them a clock that turns green when they are allowed to come downstairs. :) That helped a lot!

I got to sub for Caleb's Challenge B class one day. It was actually a lot of fun! Here they are playing "Grid", a math game.

These guys were rock stars at their second dentist appointment! Marvel went first and the hygenist basically just brushed his teeth. Then when it was Marvens' turn, she used the polisher thing and the squirty thing to clean his teeth. Marvel was determined he wanted that done too, so he climbed back up and she polished his teeth too. :)

On Caleb's 14th birthday, he got to get up really early and run a 5k at Hound and Hare, a HUGE race in Charlotte. In the rain. This picture pretty much sums up how he felt about it.

Doing anything to keep the twins entertained.

Singing happy birthday to Caleb as he runs for the finish line:

Exactly 9 years between these two pictures:

Micah bought Caleb a bunch of junk food for his birthday.... and then promptly stole some of it. :)

Caleb is the easiest person in the world to please with gifts. He gets crazy excited even opening up a $10 fan for his desk.

The Ziebers and Kaufmans came for dinner to celebrate Caleb (and Becca, whose birthday was a little over a week earlier.)

Trying out some of his new stuff... a gift card for a video game online, a new keyboard, a "tablet" for writing/drawing on the computer... and of course, the desk fan. :)

Narnia the Musical at the Children's Theater in Charlotte

One night I told the twins to control their voices. They must have learned this at school because they answered with: "Control your body!" while running their hands up from their toes to their head, then clapped their hands to their cheeks and said, "Voice!" The funny thing was one night while I was getting them ready for bed in their room, I stripped them down and then told them to go potty. They ran into the bathroom where Ben was, and did the whole "control your body" thing butt naked. Ben was like, "What are they doing??"

Playing at Miracle Park. We picked up Chinese food on the way there, and Marvens ate a TON of it, then went on the swings and spinny thing. Then he started walking very carefully and saying, "My belly!" So he laid on the bench beside me while Marvel played. I'm still not sure if he was motion sick or just gassy, but I do know he had some huge farts in the bath when we got home, and then he felt all better!

Ben and I started praying together at 7 am every weekday. I'm super impressed with myself for seeing the sunrise most days. :)

Race at Clover. Micah ran a 20.36; Caleb ran a 36.10 (new PR for him!)

The next morning, the older three kids and I left for Maryland! The trip up had several spots of construction/slowed traffic we had to reroute around. I sent this picture to Ben about the time we got on Hwy 19, and told him that Micah was going to take a turn driving to "make up time" for us. :)

The weekend was lots of fun! We got there around 6 on Thursday and everyone who was available came for dinner. Mom, Dad, and all five siblings got to sit around and talk in one room while the grandkids hung out in the other room.... I don't know the last time that happened! On Friday, Micah spent most of the day at Sam's "bachelor party" shooting skeet and playing frisbee golf... then going for a run with Lydia and Brooke, then going out for coffee with them, then doing the rehearsal and playing volleyball. (Basically, living his best life now.) The rest of us just hung out at Grandma's for the day. :) Saturday evening after the wedding, most people ended up at Grandma/Grandpa's again, and then Sunday morning, we left to go home! It was quick, but such a fun weekend.

Checking out the set up on Friday. Megan put me in charge of knowing how to set everything up Saturday morning. This spot was GORGEOUS.... on top of the hill behind Kenton and Holly's farm

I was in charge of getting this couch to the field on Saturday morning. I recruited Rich and Jeffrey with Jeffrey's truck. :)

A little fog until about 10 am... it was actually really pretty!

Some of the bridesmaids!

Grandpa/Dad got to ride around in the fancy cart since it was a little tricky for him to walk on the rough terrain.

Caleb and Abby were in charge of collecting gifts.

Micah and Davis and Alex were the "cool ushers" sitting behind me.

Brooke flew in from Costa Rica for the wedding, Lydia flew from Missouri, and Natalie drove from Wisconsin (with a quick 24 hour turn-around.)

Super cuties L'Ella and Piper. :)

A farmer's work is never done. :) Kenton kept having to restart the generator to keep the food warm.

The grandparents - my parents and Holly's parents.

Micah had a lot of fun being the MC at the reception.

When Caleb gets bored, he jumps on Minecraft.

When Abby gets bored, she grabs a baby. And Micah photobombs.

Baby Amaya

The groomsmen lost a game and had to sing, "I'm a Little Teapot"... which they couldn't remember all the words to. :)

All the cousins minus Cameron, Kendrick, and Marvel and Marvens

Impossible to get a serious photo

This is a picture my Mom took. She said Lydia and Brooke had both just put their bouquets in front of Micah's face at the same time. :)

We were supposed to have a race at Gaston Christian one Tuesday afternoon, but it kept thundering. So they had to delay it. Finally, they tried to squeeze in the high school race, but less than one minute after the start, thunder cracked and they had to call everyone back. Some big storms came through, so after all that waiting, they just canceled. I was glad I hadn't taken the twins there after occupational therapy like I had planned originally.